The “Alianza Unida” (Unified Alliance) communal bank is composed of 12 women who live in different parts of the city of Cuenca. This city is the country’s third most important. Its culture, traditions and varied gastronomy make Cuenca a very beautiful city. Its residents are kind and cordial just like our members who work in various activities that have made it possible for them to contribute to their households’ economy.

Mrs. Paola Maribel Z. lives around the Indurama sector of Cuenca. This is her second loan with the communal bank. Her mother invited her to join. She is 28 years old and the single mother of two children who are 4 and 2 years of age. She lives with her mother and they share household expenses. She does not own her house; she rents. By profession, Paola Maribel is a hair stylist and has worked in this occupation since she was 16 years old. She works Monday through Friday from 8am until 8pm.

Money from her loan will be used to buy hair coloring, shampoo and other beauty products for her business. Her goal is to open a branch of her business.

Mrs. María Auxilio N., 57, is married and has three children who are adults and married. Two of them live independently and her daughter lives with her and shares household expenses. María's husband is a master bricklayer and works in construction. María Auxilio raises chickens, guinea pigs and pigs that she sells whenever she has economic need. She also works in agriculture and what she grows is for home consumption.

This is her 6th loan in the communal bank and she plans to use it to buy more chickens. Her goal is to grow in business.

Additional Information

This is a Group Loan

In a group loan, each member of the group receives an individual loan but is part of a larger group of individuals. The group is there to provide support to the members and to provide a system of peer pressure, but groups may or may not be formally bound by a group guarantee. In cases where there is a group guarantee, members of the group are responsible for paying back the loans of their fellow group members in the case of delinquency or default.

Kiva's Field Partners typically feature one borrower from a group. The loan description, sector, and other attributes for a group loan profile are determined by the featured borrower's loan. The other members of the group are not required to use their loans for the same purpose.